The JNR Class ED61 was a Japanese DC electric locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways from 1958 to 1979.
History[]
The ED61 was designed as a variant of the ED60 which was able to tackle the 25‰ grades on the Chūō Main Line, as well as to replace imported locomotives that were becoming difficult to maintain.
Between 1958 and 1959, eighteen locomotives were built by Hitachi, Kawasaki and Toshiba; they were numbered ED61 1 through ED61 18. ED61 1 was manufactured by Hitachi in 1958, ED61 2 was manufactured by Toshiba in 1958 while the remaining locomotives were manufactured by Kawasaki, Hitachi and Toshiba in 1959. Stationed at Kōfu and Hachiōji, the locomotives were used to pull freight trains on the Chūō Main Line.
To replace the older electric locomotives used on the Iida Line, all eighteen locomotives were rebuilt to ED62s from 1974 to 1979.
Design[]
The ED61s featured large box-shaped bodies with large headlights mounted on the roof.
Specifications[]
The ED61 used a Quill drive system. MT49A traction motors were used on the locomotives.